Students Rejoice to be Back in Person
By Denali Norton
In-person classes have come back in full force this semester at City College, as the campus starts to come back to life with more student services and classes returning, City College students are joyfully returning.
In person students are very happy to be back on campus and part of a community at City College, while online students continue to enjoy the freedom online classes offer. But how much longer will City College offer online classes during this post pandemic transition?
Despite masks being required indoors, that hasn’t stopped students from returning. Even though in many public areas masks are no longer required, City College has gone a more protective route. Masking up is a small price to pay to be back on campus.
Walking through the Ocean Campus you will notice students all over, getting a coffee at the Student Union, a snack at the Lunch Box, or even finding a place to sit and chill between classes. With so much activity on campus it is hard to deny that students are glad to be back in a physical classroom. In-person learning can never be replaced with a computer screen when students are so joyus to be back in-person.
In-person instruction offers certain characteristics that you cannot receive via online learning. Connecting with students in a classroom will never be the same as over Zoom where a technological lag makes it more difficult for students to stay attentive with class.
Kirtstin Williams a dance teacher at City College Stated “With my dance classes one hundred percent everyone loves to be back in person”.
Williams’ offers all of her classes over Zoom and in-person. Recording class allows students more freedom with their schedule letting them to take it whenever they want or going to campus for the live class.
While full time students appreciate the community in-person classes offer, the 69% of students that only attend City College part time appreciate the freedom online classes offer. Without having to commute to campus, online classes allow part time students to have more time for other responsibilities.
“With my yoga classes it’s much more fifty, fifty for zoom and in-person. A lot of people like to have more freedom with the recordings and would rather use their own props at home” stated Williams.
Though City College is full of part time students that doesn’t mean they all prefer online classes. There are such features of online classes that can not be replicated. Many hands-on science classes will never be the same through a computer. Neither will the experience of dancing next to others in the same room.
Though that doesn’t mean all part time students prefer in person classes. The sense of community and connection In-person classes offer can never be topped by its Zoom counterpart. Which is why the In-person community at City College will never die while In-person classes are offered.
After reaching out to administration officials about more data about enrollment statistics I was given the chancellors office’s email and after emailing them multiple times they have not responded.